Lift Every Voice Series

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. Air is expelled with the diaphragm as with ordinary breathing, and the pitch is altered with the vocal cords. With the lips closed, this is called humming. A piece of music with a singing part, either a cappella or accompanied, is called a song; someone who sings is called a singer.

Most singing involves shaping the voice to form words, but types of voice instrumental music which use open sounds or nonsense syllables ("vocables") also exist, for instance, scat singing and yodeling. Solfege assigns certain syllables to notes in the scale.

Nearly anyone who can speak can sing, since in many respects singing is merely sustained speech. It can be informal and just for pleasure, for example, singing in the shower; or it can be very formal, such as singing done professionally as a performance or in a recording studio. Singing at a high amateur or professional level usually requires a great deal of regular practice, and/or instruction. Top-quality singers will have instruction and training from coaches throughout their career.

Halah is speaking your praise to the Father. Tehillah is to sing Halah. If you express great and extravagant adoration to the point of foolishness in the eyes of the non-praiser or non-Christian, loudly in song, you are giving Tehillah to the Father. This is the kind of praise that God inhabits, dwells or lives in. The entrance into the court or His presence is through the gate, Towdah - confession. But the perceived manifested presence of the Father is in the court - Tehillah.

When Solomon completed all the work for the house of the Lord, the singers and musicians "...were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising (Tehillah) and thanking (Yadah) the Lord, and when they lifted their voice with the trumpets and symbols and instruments of music, and praise (Tehillah) the Lord, ... the glory of the Lord filled the house of God." They gave Tehillah to the father because the work was completed. Note, it wasn’t just the fact that it was completed that was cause for Tehillah, but rather the fact that God helped to complete it! No doubt about it that building the house of the Lord was tedious work. They had to get the plans, dig the dirt, put in long hours, lift heavy stones into place, it was hot outside. They had sense enough to recognize that this was nothing of their own doing but that the Lord saw it to completion!

If you don’t think you have a reason to Tehillah let me challenge you to think about when you were in the midst of the storm and God ended it! Think about how you struggled in school but God helped you complete it! Think about how you woke up crying at night but God dried the tears and stopped the crying! Think about that sickness in your body that God said is over now! Think about those days of walking around broke, God stopped them and gave you days of prosperity! If you can’t think of a reason to Tehillah, you oughta Tehillah because it is finished! I don’t have to cry no more! I don’t have to worry no more! The storm is over now! I’ve got the victory! Tehillah for the victory is in my praise!

Solomon placed the Ark in the temple. The construction workers had completed the final touches and Solomon had all the furnishings put in place. At last, the long-awaited moment had arrived. The priests could now place the Ark of God in the temple and a great ceremony could commemorate the occasion. There would be great Tehillah sent up during this ceremony because the placement of the Ark in the temple was a picture of God’s presence among his people. Send your Tehillah because of God’s presence! Yes its real! You can feel it in your life! There’s promise in his presence! There’s peace in his presence! There’s power in his presence! There’s healing in his presence! There’s deliverance in his presence! There’s prosperity in his presence! There’s promotion in his presence! There’s protection in his presence! There’s restoration in his presence! There is fulfillment in his presence! There’s salvation in his presence! I get so much joy when I’m in the presence of the Lord!

Note that the dedication took place in the month of Ethanim, which was the seventh month of the Jewish year. Seven is the number of completion. Although the major structure of the temple had been completed eleven months earlier, it had apparently taken an additional eleven months to put the finishing touches on the temple and to complete the furnishings. Moreover, some time was needed to summon the leadership of Israel and for them to make plans to attend the dedication service.